US ambassador to India says goodbye to Mumbai with heart-felt speech

Ambassador Eric Garcetti speaking to his select audience at the Taj Mahal Palace hotel, on Thursday. Pic/Satej Shinde

The terrace of ‘The Chambers' at The Taj Mahal Palace hotel in Colaba was a picturesque backdrop for US Ambassador to India Eric Garcetti's talk - 'Peace and the role of the US-India defence and security partnership'. Garcetti's tenure concludes in India this month. The Gateway of India stood like an imposing sentinel in the background and Thursday's late morning sunbeams glanced off the sea water. Garcetti began, "India is a place that touches my heart. In Mumbai, one can see the past, reflect on the present and get a glimpse of the future."

For humanity

The ambassador referenced the late former US president Jimmy Carter and his ties to India, as he said, "This is not just any other day but a National Day of Mourning in the USA." Carter was honoured at a State funeral in Washington on Thursday. Garcetti recalled, "One of Carter's famous service to humanity projects was volunteering with ‘Habitat for Humanity'." Habitat for Humanity is a global non-profit housing organisation with a vision of a world where everyone has a place to live.

People matter

Of the Taj Mahal Palace hotel, Garcetti stated: "This, the Taj is sacred ground. This is an iconic hotel, rich with history. It has immense significance. We recently marked 16 years of the 26/11 terror attacks in Mumbai. This was one of the places where we also witnessed the bravery of this country."

Looking beyond Mumbai, Garcetti said that India and the US "are two great nations that know they have a responsibility that goes beyond their borders. We take care of our own whether it be through vaccines, international trade... but we think of the world too." The crux of Garcetti's speech was peace, with him stressing, "Peace is not just military. It is also about people-to-people contact and understanding."

Defence ties

Having said that, Garcetti did touch upon the US-India defence partnership, with, "…developing weapons together and the fact that today, we are not just selling systems to India, we are making systems ‘with' India. At one meeting with President Joe Biden and PM Narendra Modi, one statement that was made stuck with me. It was: ‘The next 10 years will change how we fight wars and maintain peace more than the last 100 years have'".

This underscored Garcetti's point that it is technology and people that make a partnership, not just one factor. Robust military partnerships between both nations underlined the people-to-people relationship. He added, "We are the two largest democracies in the world and have allegiance to certain shared values. It is not about might is right, but right is might."

Terrorism

The ambassador highlighted combating ills like the drug trade, trafficking and call centre scams together and facing the threat of terrorism, including on the Red Sea. Garcetti spoke about terror groups who operate beyond borders, deradicalisation through reaching out to communities on the periphery, and how peace is linked to prosperity. One example of partnership in combating terrorism, Garcetti said was the Tahawwur Rana case. In August 2024, a US court approved sending the 26/11 Mumbai attacks accused Tahawwur Rana to India under the India-US extradition treaty. India is speeding up the process of bringing him to face trial.

Economic growth

When Garcetti spoke about how peace is linked to prosperity, he highlighted the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) - a planned economic corridor to bolster economic development by fostering connectivity and economic integration between Asia, the Persian Gulf and Europe. He reminded that peace "is a daily exercise" at the end as he signed off stating, "At the core, India and US share one heart."

Pigeons sailed into view in the distance around the Gateway of India, as an interaction session began, the birds flying high, symbolising that challenges and differences may crop up in this partnership, but the resilient relationship will soar to heights.